TOLEDO, Ohio- November 16, 2017 – Owens Corning announced that several of its Thermafiber® mineral wool insulation products and their supporting design and installation services have earned SAFETY Act Designation, retroactive to January 1, 2006, from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Use of these products and services will provide building owners and professionals with liability protection in the unfortunate event of an act of terrorism on their structure.
The purpose of the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act, enacted in 2002, is to ensure the threat of liability doesn’t prevent companies from developing and commercializing products that could save lives in the event of an act of terrorism. It restricts liability where qualified anti-terrorism technologies, or QATTs, have been used.
“Owens Corning is the first insulation manufacturer to be listed publicly with the Department of Homeland Security as having qualified technology carrying the SAFETY Act Designation,” said Julian Francis, president, Insulation Business. “This recognition and its powerful liability protection provide a strong and unique benefit to our customers, building owners, and the architects and contractors who design and build high-rise buildings.”
After a thorough review process by DHS, the following Thermafiber® fire barrier solutions qualify as anti-terrorism technologies and meet the highest standards required to earn SAFETY Act Designation:
Thermafiber ® Perimeter Fire Barrier System and Components
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® FireSpan® 90 and 40
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® Safing
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® Impasse® Insulation Hanger System
• Thermafiber® Insolutions® Design and Installation Services
Thermafiber ® Interior Wall/Floor Ceiling Systems
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® SAFB™ (Sound Attenuation Fire Blanket)
Thermafiber ® Construction Joint Firestopping Systems
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® TopStop®
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® Safing
Thermafiber ® Penetration Firestopping Systems
• Owens Corning® Thermafiber® Safing
Angela Ogino, technical services leader, added, “Commercial building occupants depend on solid building design for their safety; for architects and specifiers, this DHS SAFETY Act Designation provides added peace of mind. The SAFETY Act Designation further underscores the role Owens Corning can play as a resource to architects and others in confidently designing, specifying and building durable and safe commercial structures.”
Life-safety systems in commercial buildings involve:
• Detection, such as heat and smoke detectors
• Suppression, such as sprinklers
• Compartmentation, or passive systems, which help contain a fire to the room of origin, delaying its spread and adding time for building occupants to evacuate
An example of a passive system is mineral wool insulation. Thermafiber® FireSpan® 90 curtain wall and Safing mineral wool insulation are key components of perimeter fire barrier systems that provide ratings up to three hours when tested to ASTM E2307. This is the standard test method for determining fire resistance of perimeter fire barrier systems using the intermediate-scale multi-story test apparatus.
Based upon its fire resistance and performance properties, Thermafiber® mineral wool insulation products have been installed in eight of the world’s tallest buildings including the tallest building in the western hemisphere, One World Trade Center in New York City, and the record-breaking Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, U.A.E. In addition to the new formaldehyde-free offerings, Thermafiber® mineral wool insulation also contributes to LEED® Credit achievement for specific commercial and residential applications and has certification for a minimum 70% recycled content by the ICC-ES.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) develops, manufactures and markets insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites. Global in scope and human in scale, the company’s market-leading businesses use their deep expertise in materials, manufacturing and building science to develop products and systems that save energy and improve comfort in commercial and residential buildings. Through its glass reinforcements business, the company makes thousands of products lighter, stronger and more durable. Ultimately, Owens Corning people and products make the world a better place. Based in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning posted 2016 sales of $5.7 billion and employs about 17,000 people in 33 countries. It has been a Fortune 500® company for 63 consecutive years. For more information, please visit www.owenscorning.com.
